The goal was to put the access panel right around the drain outlet by the sink....as it's a half pedestal sink and it should cover most of the access panel for the most part.

Having the ability to shut off zones has been great. I've been incorporating them as much as I can when I remodel - without having to shut the whole house down, I can just shut off zones.

I suppose the valves in the wall still accomplish the same function - as the reality is that the only time the *next time* water will need to be off, is if it's getting a GUT and remodel

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Dunno what floor you're on, but I put my line cutoff valves in the crawlspace. I agree they are nice to have, especially since science has shown us that a leak will not start unless it is 2 a.m. on Sunday. A simple twist "cures" it until it can be fixed.

What I've done is frame the opening and made a panel with cement board. I tiled the wall, cutting the tile so the panel is removable. Caulk the joint, with the least amount - this will hold the panel in place. If you ever need access, just cut out the caulk.

The ONLY time I use caulk is for windows, doors, sealing a undermount sink to stone , and or just touching up a gap between paintgrade trim. And for all these applications, it's generally a *sealant* except for trim, in which I use Urethanized Elastomeric caulk.

Caulk - it will NOT match up in sheen or texture with any of the grout lines...this is a poor idea . No offense for those suggesting it - just not my cup of tea.

Ha. Surely I would have thought someone has incorporated shut off valves with a finished tiled wall.

Many rough-in valves are available with integrated shutoff valves....it's just that 20-years down the road when you may need them, you (or the next owner) forgot or didn't know they existed, or they may no longer work well. These can generally be accessed if you remove the trim IF you cut your hole based on the mud guard.

@chefwong: "Caulk - it will NOT match up in sheen or texture with any of the grout lines...this is a poor idea . No offense for those suggesting it - just not my cup of tea."

I don't know what kind of caulk you have used, but most grout manufactrers have their own sanded/unsanded caulk to match their grout. You are supposed to caulk at change of plane, between the tub and tile, etc.

I've user Color-Rite. It's not a exact match..and I'm sure some colors may be better than others in color matching.
I have my own *methods* on changes of plane....and part of this is due to type of grout I am using(I suspect)....
I stopped using caulk at changes of plane as I got wiser with technique and materials used and saw that said products do no crack...YMMV

Below is color tite matched caulk . Not a close match, but I suppose its still better than clear, white or almond.

Many rough-in valves are available with integrated shutoff valves....it's just that 20-years down the road when you may need them, you (or the next owner) forgot or didn't know they existed, or they may no longer work well. These can generally be accessed if you remove the trim IF you cut your hole based on the mud guard.

IN a typical bathroom, the only fixtures that don't normally have separate shutoffs are those in the tub/shower, so while shutting the entire room off may be useful, normally, that isn't an issue since you can shut off each thing individually (if you use in-line shutoffs on the shower rough-in valve), which is why I mentioned it.